Mariposa Land Port of Entry

Located just west of Nogales in southern Arizona, the Mariposa Land Port of Entry is a study in balancing security with a dignified welcome; efficient operations with a healthy work space and achieving a high energy performance/ low water use facility within a harsh desert climate. Influenced by the smooth continuous lines of a railroad yard and the contrasting vision of a desert oasis, the site plan is designed around the concept of overlaying a bustling vehicle and pedestrian processing station with a lush and vibrant garden. One million gallons of harvested rainwater supports this vital and nurturing landscape which is designed to infuse the human experience with a connection to nature, alleviating stress and creating a respite for visitors, staff and the officers who operate the port.

At a basic level, the United States/ Mexico border region is defined by a geopolitical line on the earth. In his poem “Border Lines,” Arizona’s 2014 Poet Laureate, Alberto Rios clearly sees: “the border is what joins us, not what separates.” Inspired by this clarity of thought, the new Port of Entry strives to be a cultural connection – rather than a division. Stretching 1000 feet across the site, the threshold of the new port is an entry pavilion inspired by the waving red, white and blue flag. Additionally, this major reinvention of the 4th busiest port in the U.S. – and Arizona’s largest commercial port – is LEED Gold certified.

Border Lines

A weight carried by two Weighs only half as much.

The world on a map looks like the drawing of a cow
In a butcher’s shop, all those lines showing
Where to cut.

That drawing of the cow is also a jigsaw puzzle,
Showing just as much how very well
All the strange parts fit together.

Which way we look at the drawing
Makes all the difference.
We seem to live in a world of maps:

But in truth we live in a world made
Not of paper and ink but of people.
Those lines are our lives. Together,

Let us turn the map until we see clearly:
The border is what joins us,
Not what separates us.